*This article is a translation of one I wrote while I was practicing in Japan.

I would like to report on the progress of N’s Session 7. By Session 5, the balance of the upper body had improved, and in Session 6, we integrated a breathing method suitable for the improved body balance throughout the entire body. Subjectively, N felt good, but due to increased busyness, they often felt muscle tension in the lower back. The overall atmosphere during our conversation was positive, and I could objectively sense the harmony of breathing under gravity.
Session 7 is about connecting the core, and by concentrating the flow that has progressed from the sleeve to the core in the head, we aim to achieve overall harmony.

The Process of Evolution

Dr. Ida Rolf used to say: “Humanity is a species evolving towards a more vertical state.” This statement seems to have predicted the imbalance in the cervical region due to the pervasion of the digital environment in recent years. I believe that how to position the head and neck is a proposition for all modern humans.
In Session 7, we proceed with the theme of assisting evolution towards verticality in mind. We consolidate the previous sleeve and core sessions, using the head as a focal point and moving towards an upward orientation.

Culmination in the Head

As we begin Session 7, we first reconfirm the fascial connections from the feet to the thorax that we’ve worked on in the previous six sessions. Here, rather than viewing individual muscles or units of 2-3 muscles together, we observe the presence or absence of movement connections from the perspective of overall harmony. This is similar to the flow of meridians in Eastern medicine, and it feels like observing the presence or absence of stagnation in the overall flow.

For N, we observed poor movement in the knees and around the maxilla. The knee issue is due to knock-knees, while the maxilla seems to still be affected by a previous fall where it was hit hard. As preparation for approaching the head and neck, we work on the knees and thorax to activate the flow from the feet upwards.
When actually approaching the head and neck, we found that the maxilla still showed significant impact from the facial blow. The maxilla plays a crucial role in separating the brain from the oral cavity. As the right side was hit harder, we observed more noticeable poor movement in the right maxilla.

Next, wearing rubber gloves, we approach the oral cavity. We found tension in the lateral and medial pterygoid muscles, which form the inner structure of the temporomandibular joint, with areas that were painful even with light touch. Through the intraoral approach, we improved the poor movement of the maxilla we found earlier and released the pterygoid muscle group.
Furthermore, we perform a release of the nasal cavity using a lubricant. Through the nasal cavity, we check for any curvature or excessive compression in the vomer and ethmoid bone, while simultaneously observing the movement of the deep-lying sphenoid bone.

For N, the fall had particularly affected the movement of the vomer and ethmoid bone (bones deep in the nose). After a slow, careful release, N commented, “The feeling of something being muffled when I speak has cleared up, and my voice now comes out clearly and crisply.”
After completing the approach to the neck, face, and head, we concluded the core session by adding an approach to spread the breath throughout the entire body.

From Sleeve to Core, and Beyond

The three sleeve sessions and four core sessions we’ve conducted so far have mainly focused on restrictive factors. The remaining three sessions will primarily focus on developmental enhancement factors – what we want to extend and in which direction.
To use an analogy, the seven sleeve and core sessions are like tuning individual instruments, while the remaining three sessions are about bringing those instruments together and seeking harmony as an orchestra.

The last three sessions, in particular, have different themes for each individual, so we conduct completely different sessions for each person. Sometimes we focus on body structure, sometimes on how the body is used, and other times on how the body and perceptions of things are connected. In N’s case, we plan to first refocus on the lower limbs, proceeding with an approach to address the knock-knees and knee hyperextension.
As the symptoms that were initially concerning have mostly disappeared, we want to proceed with the treatment focusing on any further needs that may arise.

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